Outflanked by Japanese columns, Chinese troops operating east of Taierchwang are in "a precarious position," a Japanese military spokesman claimed yesterday morning.
"In relation to the scope of the operations now under way, the capture of Taierchwang is of small importance," the spokesman asserted. "There are other matters more important that have to be reported in official dispatches received here."
Continuing extensive mopping-up operations east of the Tientsin-Pukow Railway in the Mingkwang area, Japanese troops occupied the towns of Tsiaochengwang, Kiusien and Shihyang, late last week, Japanese military spokesman nounced yesterday morning, Eighty junks were also captured on Lake Tsiaocheng, he said.
On March 31, the spokesman declared, 200 Chinese were put to flight at a point 12 kilometres northeast ai Mingkwang, while 70 other Chinese troops were defeated near Kiusien on April 1.
In an engagement at Taishanling, 150 Chinese were routed. They fled. leaving 100 bodies on the feld. the spokesman asserted, Consul in Hankow. will accompany the Ambassador to Chungking in the capacity of Chinese Counsellor temporarily attached to the Embassy staff.
Sir Archibald Kerr and his party, which included the British Military and Air Attachés as well as the American Naval Attache and the French Military Attache, travelled from Canton to Hankow in three special coaches prominently displaying both British and French flags.
Owing to the fact that the Canton-Hankow Railway has recently been subjected to frequent bombings by Japanese aeroplanes. the Japanese authorities were fully informed of the details of the journey.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.